


Aftershocks

by orphan_account



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, jack just wants mac to realize some stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-10-13 21:27:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10522209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After the mission, Jack and Mac talk about life, death, and brotherhood, but not necessarily in that order.(Sometimes Mac needs things spelled out for him. And people call Jack the dumb one.)Episode tag to and spoilers for 1x19, "Compass."





	

**Author's Note:**

> THE NEW EP WAS SO GOOD THE NEXT ONE LOOKS SO GOOD IM SO RELIEVED WE GET ANOTHER SEASON

The mission they had been assigned to went off with only a few minor hiccups- but then again, what mission went perfectly?- and the team, minus Riley, who was spending the weekend with her mom, gathered at Mac and Bozer's house for dinner and a movie.

Night found Mac sitting alone on the deck, an empty beer bottle by his feet, and Jack and Bozer worriedly watching their friend from the doorway. After the blond didn't move at all for a few minutes, Bozer sighed. "I'm worried about him."

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose with his good hand."Yeah, me too."

Silence fell again,but after a few minutes, Jack's shoulders slumped and he said, "I'll go talk to him."

Bozer nodded, moving to the kitchen and beginning to clean up the dishes from dinner. Jack slid the glass door open, noting with a frown how his friend didn't even twitch at the sound. As soon as he was near enough, the brunet placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder. The kid looked up, startled out of his thoughts. "Jack. I thought you left."

Jack eased himself down into a nearby chair with a groan. "Nah, you know me. I'll stick around as long as I can if there's food involved."

Mac grinned, but there was something off to it. The two men sat in silence, Mac staring into the fire, and Jack watching him. A few moments passed, and then Jack broke the silence. "What's eating you?"

Mac looked over at him, then quickly returned his gaze to the fire. "Who says there's something wrong?"

Jack scoffed lightly. "Come on, man, give me more credit than that. I've known you long enough to know when something's not right."

Mac shrugged, but didn't answer. Jack prodded, "What's going on in that big brain of yours?"

Mac didn't reply for a few seconds, then let out a sigh and sunk a little deeper in his chair. "Well, since I know you won't leave me alone until I tell you-" 

Jack cut in, "And I won't-" 

Mac continued, "I guess I was just thinking about death, you know?"

Jack frowned. This was taking an unexpected- and, if he was honest, somewhat worrying- turn. Mac continued talking. "I just- I really thought Frankie was dead. And as soon as I was on that flight and I had time to process it," the blond had begun gesturing with his hands, as if he was trying to make Jack see his point, "I just started thinking about all the things that I hadn't gotten to tell her, or how we hadn't talked in awhile, and I realized I was never going to be able to talk to her again, or see her, or let her know that I admired what she was doing.

"I mean, now I know that she's alive, but, I don't know, I guess I just started thinking about what would happen if any of us- our team, I mean, you and Bozer and Riley- died. In the army it was different, I guess, because everything _looked_ like a  war zone out there, but here... it's all so normal, and death just seems out of place."

Jack let out a puff of air. This was not the conversation he thought that he'd have tonight. "Look, Mac, death is a fact of life. We can't really control what's going to happen to us, and especially not in our line of work. Things go wrong, unlucky coincidences happen, people die. That's a fact of life, and that's what makes life so precious, you know?

"I mean, part of the reason I went into this line of work was so that I could protect life. I knew there was a risk to me, but I thought that the reward, if I succeeded in my job, outweighed that risk, and I know you feel the same way. Really, all we can do is- as cliche as it sounds- appreciate every minute we have. If we spend all of our time worrying about what'll happen, we're not really living so much as existing in fear."

Mac sighed again. "That... makes sense."

Jack smiled. "I do have a good point to make every now and then."

There was a beat of silence, and then Mac spoke again. "I guess what I'm really worried about is, like, what if one of us dies and the last thing I said to them was something I regretted?"

Jack sat up a bit straighter. He knew what was happening here. "Mac, is this about the bickering in the dumpster?"

Mac's eyes flickered guiltily to Jack's sling. The older man took that as confirmation. "Dude, you can't beat yourself up about that. We bicker in the field, we always do. We both know that you weren't serious."

Mac shrugged. "But there's been times when we've actually fought, and you got hurt. Maybe Matty was right; maybe it'd be better if we didn't work together."

Jack raised a hand. "I'm gonna stop you right there. Mac, look. We've talked about this before- although, to be fair you were on pain meds and I'm not sure if you remember. I guess I just thought this was one of those things that didn't need to be said because we both knew it.

"I think of you like a brother-" Mac scoffed quietly, "Well, I'm not a very good one," but Jack continued talking over him. "And you know what you told me? You think the same of me. You know what brothers do? They fight. It's part of being close. No one gets along perfectly with anyone else, it's part of being human. 

"Name one time we've fought and haven't made up. Go on."

Mac mumbled something under his breath, and Jack cupped a hand around his ear. "Sorry, didn't catch that." 

Mac reluctantly repeated, louder this time, "There hasn't been one."

Jack nodded, satisfied. "Exactly. So you know what? You can't torment yourself like this, always thinking, 'what if this is the last conversation I have with this person? What if they die tomorrow?' You'll destroy yourself."

There was a beat of silence, and then Mac grinned. "You know,  you're pretty smart for an old guy."

Jack rolled his eyes. "You've got that right, brother."

**Author's Note:**

> I paused the ep at less than five mins in bc this hit me


End file.
